Those Elven Ears
by darkmoonvampire
Summary: Alistair and Sophia Surana, the Elven mage turned Grey Warden, have a moment at the camp. Part of a series. One shot. Complete.


Those Elven Ears:

Alistair was pretty sure he'd do just about anything for her. He'd gladly sacrifice his own life to save hers. He was also pretty sure that if the Maker had taken his time to create the perfect woman then it was definitely her. Her beauty was unmatched, her powers were formidable, she always chose the right decision and rarely made mistakes. She had saved all of them and risked her own safety time and time again to do it.

But unfortunately no matter how good she was, how often she saved people from the Darkspawn or each other, no matter how many wrongs she put right, the world would never see her for the hero, saviour of Ferelden that she was. Many couldn't believe that they had been saved by someone like herself.

Too often was she met with anger and hate by mere strangers who knew nothing of who she was; all that matter to them was what she was. Even Alistair had agreed with Leliana that she had indeed been cursed from birth to feel the wrath of others that they saw her as nothing.

She was a elf for once, and elves were looked down upon by the humans as most of them still served as slaves to their human masters, they were seen as worse than the dirt that the peasants walked on.

Her second curse was that she was a mage. Bestowed with the magical arcane power that the Chantry and everyone else hated except the Grey Wardens and fellow mages.

It was true that no matter how perfect she was in every way; she was also cursed. Apparently not perfect enough for the rest of the world. Only Alistair and the rest of those who accompanied her on their quest to defeat the Blight that was bearing down on them saw her as a miracle that they desperately needed.

Her name was Sophia Surana the Elven mage of the Grey Wardens and quite possibly the woman that Alistair had fallen in love with.

He knew of love from a father figure, from a friend but he had never experienced love with a woman, not in this manner. Every time he was near her his heart raced so fast he feared that she might hear it. Whenever he saw her face his stomach twisted in knots that it felt like butterflies were trapped in there. When she looks at him, he gets all hot and flustered. And finally when he sleeps his dreams are of her smiling at him and he is kissing her.

'_I really have fallen hard for her._' He finally admits to himself one evening as he stared at her across the campfire.

Sophia was sitting down on a log next to Leliana who was telling one of the stories she had learned as a minstrel in Orlais. Sophia was listening intently clearly interested as to what the other young woman had to say.

Alistair was glad that Leliana had managed to talk Sophia into getting new clothes in Denerim. Sophia's mages robes caught on everything and were very hard to move in, her new Tevinter mages robes were far more impressive and showed off her figure a hell of a lot more. The Tevinter mages robes clung to her slender frame revealing curves from her female body that he was previously unaware of.

The new robes were more armour like and there it only came to mid thigh length and her legs were only covered by skintight leggings. Sure he had been taught to be a gentleman but that didn't mean he couldn't have a few inappropriate thoughts.

It wasn't just her body that allured him to her, no that came later. It was her face that had captured him, as soon as he saw her back in Ostagar he couldn't help but think that she was beautiful. Her eyes were emerald green and her lips were slightly red and inviting, her nose was perfect her jaw was nicely outlined. Her hair was shoulder length and lovely brown with a hint of red that had braids at the front and some that tied round to the back in a loop.

At first glance Sophia appears to be a regular human who is just a bit shorter to everyone else, but it wasn't until he saw the pointed tips that stuck out of her hair did it occur to him that she was an elf. He honestly didn't have a problem with elves, he couldn't understand what people had against their pointy ears.

In fact it was her pointy ears made her even more attractive in his eyes. They were just so interesting and different to his own. He had only seen her ears a couple of time when the wind caught her hair and unveiled them to his sight.

'_I wonder what the pointy tips to her ears feel like?' _Alistair blinked at that weird and bizarre thought and noticed that Leliana was looking at him with a look in her eyes that told him she knew he had feelings for the female elf.

He looked away and scratched the back of his head with his right hand nervously. _'That makes it sound like I have a weird ear fetish. Which I certainly do not.'_ Then he suddenly remembered something that had happened a few days ago in Denerim.

They were taking a small break in the market district when a nobleman was walking past them with a female elf servant following behind carrying several bags, clearly the nobleman's shopping.

When the Elven girl asked her master "Is there anything else you wish me to get you master?"

The nobleman just swiftly spun round to the elf and reached up and stroked her ears and said casually "No I just want to get home as quick as possible."

Alistair was about to comment when he noticed that Sophia had tensed up next to him and was gripping her staff so tightly he thought it might snap. He was surprised by her weird reaction and was even more surprised when she had suddenly announced that their break was over.

'_I wonder why she had reacted that way back then.' _He thought to himself as he once again looked across at her and noticed that Leliana was gone and Sophia was sat facing the fire, staring at the flames intensely.

He decided to go sit down next to her and allow his curiosity to get the better of him. "If you don't mind my asking why did you look like you wanted to kill that nobleman with the Elven girl back in Denerim the other day?"

Sophia sighed deeply and turned those dazzling emerald green eyes onto him. "It disgusted me, the way he was treating that girl." She spoke with so much steel in his voice that it frightened him because he had never heard it before.

"So does everyone else who has servants but you acted differently this time." He states and can see in her eyes that she is deciphering a way to explain it to him.

"It's supposed to be an act of affection but he uses as his control over her, it's not right!" She shouts at him as if it should have been obvious to him. Alistair is still shocked that it so troubling to her and is also confused as to what she is referring to.

He remains silent and when she has calmed down she continues to elaborate. "Touching an Elf's ear in such a manner is meant to be an act of affection, our ears are very sensitive so they much be treated gently and we only allow those that love us to touch them. I guess for a human it's the same as a kiss."

'_Now it all makes sense! That's why she was so upset because that nobleman was taking advantage of that poor girl!' _He is unsure what to say out loud and then decides to settle for the truth. "I didn't realise I'm sorry."

"It's fine, you couldn't have known." She says quietly and he's fairly sure that's she's wishing she had saved that girl.

'If touching an Elf's ear is a sign of affection…then maybe I could tell her how I feel without actually saying it.' He reasoned and with that he had made his decision.

Sophia had turned her attention back to the flames and he didn't hesitate when he brushed back her hair and started to caress the tips of her ear; mimicking the nobleman, only Alistair meant it.

She gasped and her body tensed and he could see the shock on her face. It was like she was paralysed and yet her breathing had increased and he was unsure if this was a good sign or not. When he brushed back her hair so that he could see her ear he couldn't help but lean in so close that his mouth was only centimetres away and softly whispered to her.

"I'm not messing around you know." His voice was huskier than he realised and his own breathing had increased and he couldn't help but smirk when he saw her shudder from the effect his voice and close proximity had on her.

Sophia Surana found that she couldn't speak, the warm, hot breath on her ear was driving her crazy and blocking her thoughts. _'Oh what this man does to me._ She thinks to herself and knows if he doesn't pull away in the next few seconds then she might very well jump his bones.

Thankfully he does pull back and stutters an apology rambling in his usual manner which she finds highly amusing and alluring at the same time. She doesn't quite know what to make of him. He his different around her than the others and this confuses her, it also reminds her of Cullen but she has absolutely no idea as to what it means.

Sophia just believes it is a joke and a weird human expression. It's not like anything could happen, sure she has heard of love but has no idea what it should feel like, she had been denied such things her whole life and has no thoughts that she ever will. She is an Elven mage for the Grey Wardens in a human dominant world. No matter where her life takes her; she will always be in the service of one human or another.

But as Alistair walks away mumbling under his breathe, she feels warm and a little different somehow.

But there is absolutely no way that they could develop feelings for each other.

A/N: This is my first Dragon Age Origins story and I hope to hear what you think of it. I'm exploring the reasons why Alistair would fall for an elf. I plan to write other stories that are companion pieces to this one.


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